Some Ways to Improve Fuel Efficiency

The world is now clamored by the great problem in fuel. With oil prices increasing on a regular basis, the problem in fuel has become a great global concern. This has left many car owners in such a sullen mood; most especially those who own muscle cars and sports cars whose engines are so powerful that they devour a tank-full of gas in an instant. This has caused tremendous effects on people, and because of this, a new trend has arisen.



More and more people are now in search for fuel efficient cars. While in the past, car enthusiasts pride on how fast their cars can go and how huge their engines are, nowadays, better mileage and fuel efficiency has become everyone’s priority. Saving fuel is a difficult feat. But since transport is a necessity, how can you save fuel while still enjoying the car? What things can you do to be able to make sure that your car burn fuel very efficiently?



* Its good policy to know how fuel efficient your car is so keep tabs on how much fuel you put in your car each time you fill up at the pump and compare that to the mileage you are getting. This way, if there is a drop in previous fuel efficiency you can then consult your mechanic and tackle the issue early on.



You can also consider putting additives into your gas tank. There are several brands of additives now available in the market and some of them claim to successfully increase a car’s fuel efficiency up to ten and twenty percent. These additives are non toxic and non-fossil based and will give your car a longer driving potential, since it will make your car more fuel efficient.



* Check the Read Entire Article

Questions to Ask the Seller

1. Why are you selling the vehicle?
2. How many miles are on the odometer?
3. What's the condition of the vehicle?
4. Does it have any special features?
5. Are you the original owner?
6. Was the vehicle ever involved in an accident?
7. Do you have service records for it?
8. How much are you asking for it?
9. Take along the Used-Car-Buyer's Checklist.

Note that most of these questions are legitimate for used-car dealers as well. The more documentation they have on the car, the better. You can ask for a phone number of the previous owner if the dealer doesn't have many details. How the dealer reacts to this request may be of interest to you. More

Online Car Repair & Maintenance

Just how important is car repair and Maintenance? Do we really need to spend money on our cars? Can't we just put gas in it and drive it forever? The answer to these questions can best be answered with another question. How long do you want to be able to drive your car?



Without proper maintenance your cars life may be short lived. Sure, if you are just going to trade it back in at the end of your 36,000 mile warranty you can just put gas in it and drive it. But with today's economy there isn't to many people buying new cars. So I guess we are going to need to be able to rely on that car for a good while yet and that's where proper car repairs and maintenance can help insure reliability for a long time.



The basics are simple: change the oil regularly, rotate your tires, check your fluids and filters. How often should you do this? Mary says her dad told her that he heard from a friend that you only need to change your oil every 7,000 miles. Well, Lets refer to the above question, How long do you want to be able to drive your car? You can change the oil every 7,000 miles but the engine probably won't last much longer than 120,000 miles before the sludge costs you an engine ($5000.00). You should change your oil every 3,000 miles to insure proper engine lubrication and not worry about the engine for up to 500,000 miles. But, Mary said he owners manual said she could wait longer....  That may be true, but lets think for a minute. The owners manual comes from the manufacturer who is only going to warranty the engine for a short period of time. After that your on your own and the manufacturer only makes money if you have to buy another car..... I think you get the idea. When you have your oil change is perfect time to rotate the tires and check your fluids. Car Maintenance can and will save you money in the long run and help your car deliver many years of reliable driving.

Get the best deal buying a car in a fallin market!

Since automotive sales are tanking, now's the time to put off that new car purchase, right? Wrong. While it may seem silly to part with your hard-earned money right now, economic doldrums mean that now is one of the best times in years to get an incredible deal on a new car. The deals won't just happen by themselves, though.

1) Show the dealer you're a strong, serious buyer who can either afford to pay cash for the car or will qualify for financing.

2) While sales are down overall, some individual models, and even some brands, are still going strong. To get the best deal, you have to target your shopping. Look for good cars that aren't selling well.

3) Remember that no matter what incentives are available, you still may be able to negotiate for more. Play your cards right and you may turn a $2,000 incentive into $4,000.

4) While paying 0 percent financing on a car loan may not be as exciting as getting $3,000 cash back, over the long term, the lower financing rate may save you more money.

5) Remember that you can always negotiate the price of your trade. It's always a good idea to bring in an online estimate of your car's value. Full Article

What does McCain and Sarah Palin Drive?

They may not agree on how to handle Pakistan or what the "Bush Doctrine" means, but Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin both think Volkswagen's are cool. The senior senator from Arizona counts a 2005 VW convertible among his 13 cars, and his running mate from the great state of Alaska drives a fire-engine-red Jetta diesel when she isn't chasing down moose on a snowmobile or carrying hockey teams or tanning beds in her state-issued Suburban.

Word that McCain drives a furrin car brought a quick response from the Obama campaign, which wanted to know just what country McCain is putting first. But the Obamaniacs missed the point. The only convertible VW imported to the states in 2005 was the Beetle. That's right -- tough-as-nails John McCain drives the biggest chick car on the planet. Full Story

Buy a 2010 Chevy Camaro ~ order one now

Order a 2010 Camaro Coupe Starting October 13

Chevy is pleased to announce that the day you've been waiting for has arrived – you can submit an order for a 2010 Chevy Camaro (scheduled to be available spring 2009) starting Monday, October 13, 2008.(1)
Chevy dealers across the country will be able to submit customers' orders for the new 2010 Chevy Camaro Coupe, with its outstanding performance and efficiency, sleek styling and unexpected array of features, including:
- Price starting at $22,995(2)
- Choice of six-speed transmissions: manual or TAPshift automatic
- Projected 300 hp DOHC V6 engine that gets an estimated 27 MPG hwy with automatic transmission(3)
- Projected 400 hp V8 engine with automatic transmission and Active Fuel Management for added fuel savings
- Projected 422 hp V8 engine with manual transmission
- 4.5-link independent rear suspension
- Six air bags(4)
- Bluetooth® wireless technology available for select compatible phones(5)
- USB connectivity available on select models
- Standard one-year OnStar Safe & Sound plan(6)

Read More

Electric Mini Cooper - MINI E

MINI E: All-Electric Plug-In MINI Cooper with 204HP Revealed!

Over the next year or so, BMW will produce around 500 units which will be leased to selected private and corporate customers in the U.S. states of California, New York and New Jersey, giving the Bavarian automaker the chance to evaluate the viability of a full-scale production EV. MINI said that it also considering the possibility of leasing the vehicle in Europe.

The battery can be fully charged through a standard outlet in about eight hours. However, MINI will offer each buyer a wall-box with higher amperage that will be installed in the customer's garage enabling a full recharge in just 2 1/2 hours. The MINI E also features a brake regeneration system that transforms kinetic energy to electricity replenishing the battery. According to BMW Group officials, the lithium battery offers the MINI E a driving range of more than 240km or 150 miles. Read more

Hybrid Electric Car Models

Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) use two or more energy conversion technologies. This is usually a combination of a conventional engine with extra batteries driving electric motors.



Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) use “two or more energy conversion technologies.” Often, this means coupling an internal combustion engine (ICE) with a secondary source of stored electrical power such as batteries. The different power sources are then used separately or in tandem to deliver an optimum combination of power and fuel economy. The objective that has led to the development of hybrid vehicles involves delivering every greater fuel economies as the amount of allowable harmful emissions trends towards zero.



There are a number of different types of hybrid vehicle that have been released onto the market. Here is a sample of some of those HEV types. Not all of these models will have been made available outside of the United States, and those that have been released may be known by a different name in other regions.

Can Cars today really run on Vegetable Oil?

Vegetable Oil vs. Diesel Fuel

Diesel engines are a type of internal combustion engine. Rudolf Diesel designed his own engine and obtained patent for his design. In his engine, fuel was injected at the end of compression and the fuel was ignited by the high temperature resulting from compression. Rudolf Diesel originally designed the diesel engine to use vegetable oils as a fuel in order to help support agrarian society and to enable independent craftsmen and artisans to compete with large industry. This was also after his failed attempt to run the engine on coal dust. Diesel engines are used in cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats and locomotives. Read Entire Article...

Hybrid system components

A permanent magnet brushless motor/generator is mounted adjacent to the engine. A smaller motor/generator replaces the engine flywheel. The motor control unit controls the delivery of electric current to and from the battery and the electric motors.



The internal combustion engine in a hybrid vehicle is designed to operate only within its most efficient operating range, typically between 2000 and 4500 rpm. Its construction has lighter internal components than would otherwise be required, resulting in an efficient engine with low friction qualities. It may also incorporate other fuel efficient technologies such as shutting down selected engine cylinders, multi runner intake manifolds, and throttleless intake manifolds. Read more

Online Repair Manuals - Mitchell Price Change

For all those mechanics out there that have relied on Mitchell's online repair manuals to get the job done with, listen up.
the much loved price is changing from $11.99 to $16.99. Act now and lock in the low price of $16.99 while you still can and save. You will still get the same great quality information with updated TSB's, wiring diagrams, repair information and more.

Take advantage of this opportunity now and save before the price increases.


MITCHELL1 is now online for the Do-it-Yourself er. This online subscription service is designed for automotive enthusiasts and provides the same Repair information used in thousands of automotive shops and dealers across the country. The Upside : As a special offer you can obtain this information for just $16.99 . Repair shops and dealers pay thousands of dollars for this information and individual books are $70 to $150.00 not including Shipping and Handling fees. This a a great deal for the most professional Mechanic or the at home mechanic.

Ask a Certified Mechanic Your Car Questions Online Now

Need a Car Question answered ASAP? No problem, Just use the box to your top right to get started. Just type your question into the box and press the " Ask a Mechanic" button and your off to getting your car question answered that will put you one step closer to getting your problem solved. You will have the ability to respond as many times as you need until you are completely satisfied with the answer. Thousands of people have already been answered so why not give it a try. You can ask anything you want to know. Want to know how much a service repair should cost or need a wiring diagram, or just want to know how to do the repair yourself. Ask Now! and get the Answers you need...

Ask Free Auto Mechanic Experts - (beta) 09-09-09

To Celebrate this special day of 09-09-09 Freeautomechanic.com opens up to the public a New and exciting way to Ask Auto repair questions and get the answers you need. This is Brand New and the best thing is that anyone can register for free and ask questions for free. Did I mention FREE! There is no limit to the amount of questions you can ask and if you are on the mechanic side of things or just want to share you own fix, you can leave comments as well.  So Check out Ask Free Auto Mechanic Experts - (beta) , Register and be set up as an author with all the benefits. Ask questions, get answers and help build the largest auto repair database on the net.

HYBRID - To Buy or Not To Buy ?

2010 Honda Insight Concept

If you are in the market to buy a new car and have decided that a Hybrid is the way you want to go, you may just want to wait a bit longer. I have said this before and I will say it again. The Hybrids are still too new and have changed from year to year, so it is to soon to know what kind of problems your are going to have to deal with. The manufacturers have changed there designs almost every year since introduced to try and handle these issues. There is hope however for more reliability and a better price.

The 2010 Honda Insight, all new Hybrid. The Insight will be smaller than a Civic and CEO Takeo Fukui says it will be priced significantly below current hybrids. We expect it to start about $19,000, in keeping with the automaker’s goal of pricing it competitively against conventional small vehicles in its segment. “This new Insight will break new ground as an affordable hybrid within the reach of customers who want great fuel economy and great value,” Fukui says in a statement.

The Insight rides on an all-new platform as a bespoke hybrid, as opposed to offering a hybrid version of an existing vehicle as is the case with the current Honda Civic hybrid and the Honda Fit hybrid planned by 2015.

The on-sale date for the Insight is April 22—Earth Day—and the automaker is projecting global annual sales of 200,000, half of which are for the North American market.

2005 Nissan Altima Crankshaft Sensor Learn Procedure

CKP System Variation Learn Procedure





The scan tool monitors certain component signals to determine if all conditions are met to continue with the procedure. The scan tool only displays the condition that inhibits the procedure while monitoring the following components:

CKP sensors activity-If there is a CKP sensor condition, refer to the applicable DTC that was set



Camshaft position (CMP) sensor activity-If there is a CMP sensor condition, refer to the applicable DTC that was set



Engine coolant temperature (ECT)-If the ECT is not warm enough, idle the engine until the ECT reaches normal operating temperature



NOTE: For additional diagnostic information, refer to DTC P1336.



Install a scan tool



Monitor the powertrain control module for diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). If other DTCs are set, except DTC P1336, refer to the Diagnostic Trouble Code List for the applicable DTC that was set



Select the crankshaft position (CKP) variation learn procedure



Observe the fuel cut-off



The scan tool instructs you to perform the following:



Block the drive wheels



Apply the vehicles parking brake



Cycle the ignition from OFF to ON



Maintain pressure on the brake pedal



Start and idle the engine



Place the vehicles transmission in Park (A/T) or Neutral (M/T).



With the scan tool, enable the CKP system variation learn procedure.



Slowly increase the engine speed to the RPM that you observed.



NOTE: While the learn procedure is in progress, release the throttle immediately when the engine starts to decelerate. The engine control is returned to the operator and the engine responds to throttle position after the learn procedure is complete.



Immediately release the throttle when fuel cut-off is reached



The scan tool should display the Learn Status: "Learned this ignition"



If the scan tool does not display this message and no additional DTCs set, refer to Symptoms - Engine



If a DTC set, refer to Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) List for the applicable DTC that set



Turn OFF the ignition for 30 seconds after the learn procedure is completed successfully

How Do I get Free Auto Repair Estimates Online

FreeAutoMechanic.com is Pleased to release its latest Service: Auto Repair Estimates. And Yes it is Absolutely FREE. FreeAutoMechanic.com will provide you with the a basic estimate in an email that can be viewed, saved or printed for future use . Auto repair costs are on the rise so make sure you know what your getting into before you go to the dealer for repairs. Car Repair Estimates are available free for US Cars and Trucks from 1974 to 2009. FreeAutoMechanic.com asks that you be specific on what car repair you want estimated. Timing belt is not the same as serpentine belt, etc. The repair estimates are just that, an estimate. They are not binding in anyway, but to be used as a form of educational information that may help you make better decisions in relationship to your own car related issues. This service is not intended to be used by Car repair shops or dealers. FreeAutoMechanic.com uses the same software to compile the auto repair estimates.



All you need to do is visit http://www.freeautomechanic.com/ and follow the instructions to get your free auto repair estimate sent right to your email.

2010 Ford Taurus SHO - Twin Turbo AWD 4-Door family car ?

Welcome Back to the Ford Taurus SHO! Truly missed for its sleek design and awesome power. This time around the SHO is truly a muscle car to be recognized. With an impressive 365 horsepower @ 5550 rpm along with the AWD to put the 350 lb.-ft of torque to the ground. This beast can still maintain a modest 17 city/25 highway estimated fuel mileage rating from the EPA. The Engine builds all this power from a 3.5 L Twin Turbo Direct Injection system. With 10:1 compression this machine is crisp all the way through the power curve and runs just fine on 91 Octane or better. The transmission is equipped with 6 speed electronically controlled automatic overdrive with paddle activation for easy shifting.

Drive One - 2010 Ford Taurus SHO

Should I buy the New Chevy Volt?

Lets take a minute to see what the pros and cons are along with some common sense thinking. OK, so you are in the market to buy a new car. That's wonderful that the Media Scare on the economy hasn't worked on you. So lets use some numbers and base it on lets say MONEY!

The New Chevy Volt, 230 mpg, an Electric Plug-in that has a gasoline assist engine to charge the batteries on the go is said to Sticker Price at around $40,000.00 WOW!!!! and for arguments sake lets pick a lessor expensive New Car, will pick the Ford Focus that gets 35 mpg and Stickers around $15,000.

Lets say you spend $20.00 a week driving the New Ford Focus and $2.80 a week (electricity costs money too). It costs you $1040.00 a year in gas to drive the New Focus and $145.60 a year to Drive the New Volt.

Now lets do a little math. $40k - $15k = $25K ... hmmm $25k /$1040.00 per year = 24 years worth of gas.

So you would have to drive the New Chevy Volt 24 years in order to make up the difference of money you spent, not to mention that no one knows how long the Volt will last maintenance wise.

Now you might say , oh I am helping the environment! Did you know that electricity that is made by burning fossil fuels is pretty much the same thing??? So I am gonna have to say if you want to buy an electric hot-rod that is kinda cool looking, great get you a Chevy Volt and be happy but Don't think it is gonna help the environment or your wallet.

Neutral - The Forgotten Gear

SAVE MONEY WITH BETTER FUEL MILEAGE

I years past we, as drivers, have relied on the "Over-Drive" gear to get us the peak fuel mileage we desired. It is true that in highway driving, Over-drive is the best gear to have your vehicle in to achieve this goal. But when it comes to city driving, Neutral can be the friend your best friend.

My daily driver is a 1989 Chevrolet Corvette that has around 65,000 miles on it. It is a 6 speed manual shift. The Corvette has a 350 ci. tune port fuel injection V8 engine, and is stock. I do keep the oil changed regular and replace plugs every other year. The vehicle is equipped from the factory with a shift light that gives you the best points to shift at to achieve the best fuel mileage and also has a digital "instant average fuel mileage" meter. I had been getting around 22 mpg with my normal driving habits. Recently with the inflated fuel pricing I started paying closer attention to the shift light and my fuel mileage increased to 24 mpg. After a few fill ups and still getting 24 mpg I almost became obsessed with the fuel mileage. Being a mechanic and owning my own shop, not to mention my education in the field, i wanted to come up with a way to increase my fuel mileage further. And the most efficient way, was to continue shifting when the shift light suggests and pop the gear selector into neutral and coast as often as it permits. Yes, every down hill can be achieved with neutral (still maintaining the speed limit with in 5 mph) and my fuel mileage jumped to 26 mpg. It may not seem like much but every bit helps. I enjoy seeing the look on peoples faces when I tell them that my big V8 Corvette gets 26 mpg in the city! And I would be willing to bet that your fuel mileage can improve also by not forgetting about Neutral and the best thing is, it has no additional cost and doesn't have to be added. It has been there for years but sadly overlooked.

Cash For Clunkers Survives For Now

The U.S. Government is Spending your tax dollars on cars.... Still ! Are they trying to help Obama Motors or just see how much debt they can create. Time will tell.

Congress sent President Barack Obama legislation Thursday night with an additional $2 billion for "cash for clunkers," the economy-boosting rebate program that caught the fancy of car buyers and instantly increased sales for an auto industry long mired in recession.

The government said Wednesday that more than $775 million of the original funds had been spent, accounting for the sale of nearly 185,000 new vehicles. Administration officials estimate the extra funding will last into Labor Day.
Under the program, passenger car owners are eligible for a voucher worth $3,500 if they trade in a vehicle getting 18 miles per gallon or less for a new car getting at least 22 mpg. Vouchers of $4,500 are available for owners who trade in a passenger car getting 18 mpg or less for a model that gets at least 28 mpg.

The longer-term impact of the program is less clear.
"Once these clunker rebates expire, it is over," predicted economist Richard Yamarone of Argus Research. "Consumers are not going to keep buying cars. It is a temporary one-time gimmick, not a long-lasting tonic for the recovery."

In the program so far, GM's share of cars sold is largest, accounting for 18.7 percent of new sales. Toyota Motor Corp. followed with 17.9 percent, while Ford had 16 percent. Detroit automakers represented 45.3 percent of the total sales, while Toyota, Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co., all Japanese firms, totaled 36.5 percent.

Toyota also has the best-selling new model for traders of clunkers, the Corolla. The Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Toyota Prius and Toyota Camry are also favorites. There is one SUV on the list, the Ford Escape, which also comes in a hybrid model that can get up to 32 mpg. Six of the top-10 selling vehicles are built by foreign manufacturers, but most are built in North America.

Resource: Yahoo News